It is common procedure in complicated mailings, such as combined sweepstakes and sales solicitations, to provide a mailing envelope with a large number of paper panels (as the same as separate inserts) within the mailing envelope including a reply panel. The recipient is encouraged to take stickers or labels from one part of the inserts and place them on the reply panel, and then return the reply panel to the organization mailing the envelopes. Typically the reply panel is returned in a reply envelope (e.g. having a window), and when received by the issuing organization the envelopes must be individually opened, inspected to see if any stickers or labels, or which stickers and labels, have been placed thereon, and then the inserts are directed to the correct division within the organization for providing goods or services to the replier depending upon the stickers or labels utilized.
The insert or inserts provided for such mailing envelopes typically require color printing on both faces thereof because it is essential that they make a good impression on the recipient in order to obtain an appropriate level of response. Normally this is accomplished, in actual practice, by printing a document with variable color indicia on both faces of a substrate in a number of press runs, with separate passes through variable data printers to apply other variable information. This procedure limits the number of variations allowed, and is very expensive. Also a number of separate runs are necessary to produce separate insert pieces which then have to be assembled in order. That introduces a number of errors into the procedure.
According to the invention a method, and product, are provided which overcome the drawbacks associated with the prior art procedures in mailing as described above.
According to the invention a document is produced by a procedure which includes imaging (e.g. printing) variable color indicia on both faces of a paper substrate, e.g. such as using an XLC/Xeicon.RTM. DCP1 system, and printing sense marks to be used to reinsert the documents ultimately produced from the substrate into a next operation. The substrate is rewound onto a roll, and the roll is taken to a finishing location where it is unwound. The web is trimmed to width size (which removes the sense marks) and scannable indicia is printed on a series of label portions using flexographic magnetic ink. A placer may be used to cut and place strips of transfer tape on the back face of the label portions, and die cutting is used to die cut around the labels through the substrate but not through the transfer tape release liner. A cut off unit then cuts the documents to length, and a buckle folder folds the document to provide up to six panels. The folded sheets are then delivered onto a conveyor and shingled.
The shingled sheets from the conveyor are fed to an inserter machine where one edge of the folded document is trimmed off resulting in a number of loose inserts which are inserted into an outgoing envelope with other inserts, including a reply envelope. By trimming at the inserted document integrity is not compromised. The envelopes are then mailed to end users.
The end user may remove any number of labels from the portion of the inserts where the labels with magnetic indicia are located, and may place the labels on the reply portion of the inserts to indicate a desire to purchase specific items or services, or to provide some other instruction. The reply portion is then inserted into the return envelope and mailed back to the issuing organization. The return labels can then be scanned through the reply envelope itself, without opening them, to determine what the end user wants to buy, and to sort the reply portions into the appropriate classifications.
The invention may be practiced utilizing commercially available equipment, with a wide variety of options being possible. According to one specific aspect of the present invention a method of making a mailing envelope with a plurality of inserts, using a substrate web having first and second faces, is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) Imaging variable color indicia on both faces of a substrate web, and imaging sense marks on at least one face of the web, and reply indicia. (b) Using the sense marks, properly aligning and slitting the substrate web into a web of predetermined width. (c) Flexographically printing label portions of the first face of the web with magnetic ink. (d) Applying adhesive and a release liner to the second face of the web at the label portions. (e) Die cutting labels from the label portions. (f) Cutting the web into sheets of predetermined length, each sheet including at least one set of labels. (g) Buckle folding the sheet to form a folded sheet with a plurality of panels in the sheet, at least one panel having a set of labels. (h) Trimming the folded sheet to form at least two distinct inserts from the folded sheet, at least one distinct insert comprising a reply insert with reply indicia thereon. And, (i) inserting the inserts and a reply envelope into an outgoing envelope to produce a mailing envelope.
The invention may also comprise the further steps of (j) imaging instructional indicia on each sheet indicating that one or more labels should be removed from the release liner and placed on a predetermined portion of the reply insert, and the reply insert should be inserted into the reply envelope; and (where the reply envelope is a window envelope having a window) also (k) imaging reply address indicia on the reply insert at a location thereon so that when the reply insert is inserted into the reply envelope the reply indicia is visible through the window. Steps (j) and (k) may be practiced substantially simultaneously with step (a), or at other locations after step (a) but before step (g). Step (g) may be practiced to provide between three and six panels in the sheet, e.g. to provide at least four panels including at least two aligned fold lines, and step (h) may be practiced to sever the sheet of the aligned fold lines to form at least three different inserts.
There typically also are the further steps, between steps (a) and (b), of winding the web into a roll, transporting the roll to another location, and unwinding the web from the roll.
Step (g) may be practiced to provide between three and six panels in the sheet. Step (h) may be practiced to sever the panels so as to substantially simultaneously remove the first and third fold lines. The severing in step (h) preferably takes place at substantially the same location as step (i), so that document integrity is not compromised.
There may also be the further steps of receiving a plurality of reply envelopes, at least some of which have at least one label with magnetic ink thereon disposed on a reply insert therein, at a reply location; without opening the reply envelopes passing them through a sensor to sense relevant information on labels therein at the reply location; and sorting the reply envelopes in response to the sensing.
According to another aspect of the present invention a method of producing envelope inserts using a substrate web having first and second faces is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) Imaging indicia, including variable color indicia, on both faces of a substrate web, the indicia also including reply indicia. (b) Cutting the printed web into sheets of predetermined length. (c) Buckle folding the sheet to form a folded sheet with at least four panels in the sheet, including at least two aligned fold lines. And, (d) trimming the folded sheet to sever the sheet at the aligned fold lines to form at least three distinct inserts, at least one distinct insert comprising a reply insert with reply indicia thereon. Step (c) is preferably practiced to provide a folded sheet having first through sixth consecutively disposed panels, the first and sixth panels having free edges substantially parallel to five consecutive fold lines separating the sheet into panels, the first fold line between the first and second panels and the fifth fold line between the fifth and sixth panels; the panels disposed in order as the second, first, fourth, fifth, sixth and third. Step (d) is also preferably practiced to sever the panels so as to substantially simultaneously remove the first and third fold lines, to create distinct inserts.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention an intermediate for inserts into an envelope is provided. The intermediate comprises a folded sheet having first through sixth consecutively disposed panels, the first and sixth panels having free edges substantially parallel to five consecutive fold lines separating the sheet into panels. The first fold is between the first and second panels and the fifth fold line is between the fifth and sixth panels. The panels are disposed in order as the second, first, fourth, fifth, sixth, and third. The sheet has first and second faces with indicia thereon, including color indicia on each face, and at least one of the panels has reply indicia thereon. Inserts may be formed from the intermediate by severing the panels to remove the first and third fold lines.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple yet effective method for constructing desirable documents, in an intermediate form thereby. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.